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Frankie Bloch was a South Philly boxer. And Jewish, at a time (circa 1910) when the big prizefighters had surnames like Quinlan, Russell, Doyle, O’Brien and Dunn. So to better fit in with his Irish competitors, Bloch became Bradley.

He won. A lot. Saved $6,000 and bought a luncheonette, which he parlayed into several other restaurants, the last of which was Frankie Bradley’s Romanian Inn, a smoky steakhouse and celebrity hang that opened at the backstreet intersection of Chancellor and Juniper in 1933. Bradley died in 1976, a decade shy of his restaurant’s 53rd — and final — birthday.

Frankie Bradley’s became Hesch’s for a while after that, then had a 17-year run as Sisters, the city’s only female-focused LGBT nightclub. When Mark Bee, the early adopter behind neighborhood-defining operations like North 3rd and Silk City, heard that Sisters had closed, he immediately inquired about the Tudor-style space: “I loved the whole layout,” he says, “and as I did the research, I loved it even more.”

Bee’s Franky Bradley’s — “I always spelled ‘Franky’ with a Y,” he shrugs — opened two months ago. To duck under the black marquee awning and into this resurrected refuge is to step into a surrealist version of the past. Bee’s Bradley’s feels old, but a bit twisted. Thickets of knotted antlers wreath an arched dining alcove. Glasses on brass bar rails dangle upside-down like slumbering bats. Fringed gypsy lamps whisper in invisible breezes. It’s Twin Peaks meets VFW hall.

A heady reddish glow permeates the place. It feels like it comes from within the century-old pine-paneled walls, some kind of inner life force activated by its peculiar collection of bewitching objects. They emerge slowly, as if out of a mist: knights charging into battle, a Pam Greer portrait, petrified fish and stuffed pheasants, a High Life Pennsylvania license plate, a picture of ghosts who are either giving each other the Heimlich or doing it doggy-style. Bee is a chronic collector, and what wasn’t unearthed in upstate flea markets, salvage yards and antique shops, his roommate, artist Scott Johnston, painted. “He’s also our doorman on the weekends.”

In my darkened corner of Franky Bradley’s, a hissing medusa hovered overhead, her expression nefarious, hungry. Did she want to turn me to stone, or just the stone-ground Doylestown grits arrayed about my plate of crispy chicken livers and sweet-hot pepper jelly?

That was one of the best efforts from chef Dave Kane, a four-year veteran of Silk City, who also did time at Fork, Pif and Bar Ferdinand. Of the menu at Bradley’s, he says, “We wanted to have something for everybody, but different from what they’re used to at our other restaurants.”

So the food here trends a little more upscale, a little more plated: head-on shrimp with flageolet beans, brandade with piquillo peppers, a grilled bone-in rib eye. Pan-browned gnocchi dotted whorls of butternut squash puree in one entrée; they were a little gummy, with skins that gave them the texture of dumplings, but the flavors were on-point on an ice-cold night: caramelized Brussels sprouts, nutty toasted almonds, tangy cranberry brown butter, salt shaved Parm.

The French onion soup was in need of more Comté and a sturdier crouton. As for the wings, it’s rare to find ones that are both crispy and tender, but these had the right textural contrast — thanks to a two-step process that includes gently cooking the paprika-and-oregano-rubbed chicken in the basement smoker, then quickly crisping them in the fryer. Brown-sugared bourbon barbecue coated the wings in thick maroon lacquer. “I wanted to do something different than Buffalo,” Kane says. “I’m really proud of them.” He should be.

He should also be proud of the escarole salad, the frilly leaves of the bitter greens charred on the grill before getting tossed with punchy Caesar dressing, hard-cooked egg, Parm, bread crumbs and curly boquerones. This wasn’t groundbreaking — but it was well executed, flavorful and satisfying.

The hibiscus-pink Franky’s Punch was sweet enough to qualify as its own dessert, but sneaky strong with Sailor Jerry, SNAP and Drambuie dosing a vanilla/apple cider base. The cava-topped crème de violette-and-St. Germaine Viva La Diva, meanwhile, was the kind of drink you would give a mom who doesn’t drink. Mine crushed one and promptly ordered another. Beer-wise you’ve got names like Firestone Walker, Neshaminy Creek and Founders in a list of 10 taps and 28 bottles that also includes an unfortunate number of macros. Maybe it’s a tribute to the boxer that gave this address its name. I can’t imagine Frankie Bradley kicking back with a pint of St. Feuillien saison.

Frankie Bloch was a South Philly boxer. And Jewish, at a time (circa 1910) when the big prizefighters had surnames like Quinlan, Russell, Doyle, O’Brien and Dunn. So to better fit in with his Irish competitors, Bloch became Bradley.

He won. A lot. Saved $6,000 and bought a luncheonette, which he parlayed into several other restaurants, the last of which was Frankie Bradley’s Romanian Inn, a smoky steakhouse and celebrity hang that opened at the backstreet intersection of Chancellor and Juniper in 1933. Bradley died in 1976, a decade shy of his restaurant’s 53rd — and final — birthday.

Frankie Bradley’s became Hesch’s for a while after that, then had a 17-year run as Sisters, the city’s only female-focused LGBT nightclub. When Mark Bee, the early adopter behind neighborhood-defining operations like North 3rd and Silk City, heard that Sisters had closed, he immediately inquired about the Tudor-style space: “I loved the whole layout,” he says, “and as I did the research, I loved it even more.”

Bee’s Franky Bradley’s — “I always spelled ‘Franky’ with a Y,” he shrugs — opened two months ago. To duck under the black marquee awning and into this resurrected refuge is to step into a surrealist version of the past. Bee’s Bradley’s feels old, but a bit twisted. Thickets of knotted antlers wreath an arched dining alcove. Glasses on brass bar rails dangle upside-down like slumbering bats. Fringed gypsy lamps whisper in invisible breezes. It’s Twin Peaks meets VFW hall.

A heady reddish glow permeates the place. It feels like it comes from within the century-old pine-paneled walls, some kind of inner life force activated by its peculiar collection of bewitching objects. They emerge slowly, as if out of a mist: knights charging into battle, a Pam Greer portrait, petrified fish and stuffed pheasants, a High Life Pennsylvania license plate, a picture of ghosts who are either giving each other the Heimlich or doing it doggy-style. Bee is a chronic collector, and what wasn’t unearthed in upstate flea markets, salvage yards and antique shops, his roommate, artist Scott Johnston, painted. “He’s also our doorman on the weekends.”

In my darkened corner of Franky Bradley’s, a hissing medusa hovered overhead, her expression nefarious, hungry. Did she want to turn me to stone, or just the stone-ground Doylestown grits arrayed about my plate of crispy chicken livers and sweet-hot pepper jelly?

That was one of the best efforts from chef Dave Kane, a four-year veteran of Silk City, who also did time at Fork, Pif and Bar Ferdinand. Of the menu at Bradley’s, he says, “We wanted to have something for everybody, but different from what they’re used to at our other restaurants.”

So the food here trends a little more upscale, a little more plated: head-on shrimp with flageolet beans, brandade with piquillo peppers, a grilled bone-in rib eye. Pan-browned gnocchi dotted whorls of butternut squash puree in one entrée; they were a little gummy, with skins that gave them the texture of dumplings, but the flavors were on-point on an ice-cold night: caramelized Brussels sprouts, nutty toasted almonds, tangy cranberry brown butter, salt shaved Parm.

The French onion soup was in need of more Comté and a sturdier crouton. As for the wings, it’s rare to find ones that are both crispy and tender, but these had the right textural contrast — thanks to a two-step process that includes gently cooking the paprika-and-oregano-rubbed chicken in the basement smoker, then quickly crisping them in the fryer. Brown-sugared bourbon barbecue coated the wings in thick maroon lacquer. “I wanted to do something different than Buffalo,” Kane says. “I’m really proud of them.” He should be.

He should also be proud of the escarole salad, the frilly leaves of the bitter greens charred on the grill before getting tossed with punchy Caesar dressing, hard-cooked egg, Parm, bread crumbs and curly boquerones. This wasn’t groundbreaking — but it was well executed, flavorful and satisfying.

The hibiscus-pink Franky’s Punch was sweet enough to qualify as its own dessert, but sneaky strong with Sailor Jerry, SNAP and Drambuie dosing a vanilla/apple cider base. The cava-topped crème de violette-and-St. Germaine Viva La Diva, meanwhile, was the kind of drink you would give a mom who doesn’t drink. Mine crushed one and promptly ordered another. Beer-wise you’ve got names like Firestone Walker, Neshaminy Creek and Founders in a list of 10 taps and 28 bottles that also includes an unfortunate number of macros. Maybe it’s a tribute to the boxer that gave this address its name. I can’t imagine Frankie Bradley kicking back with a pint of St. Feuillien saison.

Happy Saint Patrick’s Day! To celebrate my namesake holiday, I thought I would share a twist on one of my favorite cocktails, the Last Word. When Robbie and I visited Boston last summer, I had this cocktail at an amazing bar called Drink. I loved the way the botanicals in the gin worked with the herbal, floral, and honeyed taste of green chartreuse to create such a refreshing cocktail.

This beautifully green cocktail seemed like the ideal drink to distinguish yourself from the folks in shamrock shaped sunglasses. The classic recipe calls for equal parts gin, green chartreuse, maraschino liqueur, and lime juice. In this variation, we used Art in the Age’s Sage spirit; a garden gin featuring American botanicals. The Sage adds a fantastic handcrafted quality to the updated cocktail. Not only is this the perfect cocktail for Saint Patrick’s Day, it’s also a great cocktail to ring in Spring, with its vibrant herbaceousness.

From beer-battered bagels to spit-fired meats, our picks for great feeds in the City of Brotherly Love

By CH Contributor

On 19 March 2015

by Mark Likosky

Philadelphia seems to get a bad rap from many people who visit the city for work and get stuck in Center City with no idea where to go for lunch. The reality is Philly—as one of the largest cities in the US—is brimming with great places to eat, if you know where to look. From burgers to brisket and matzo soup, here are some of the best places to fill up while exploring the City of Brotherly Love.

Hunger Burger

With their “Buy One, Feed One” initiative, proceeds from every 100% Angus Beef burger bought at Hunger Burger in the massive Reading Terminal Market goes to a child in need. Husband and wife chef duo George and Kim Mikel chose organizations No Kid Hungry and King’s Castle who can help feed a child for as little as 50 cents a day. And, if burgers aren’t your thing, the lobster mac-n-cheese here is one of the best dishes to be found in the whole market.

P.S. & Co

Chef Andrea Kyan (who started out in sweets but decided to go savory) believes “whole foods are the most accessible and significant way to effect one’s health, happiness and environment.” Her vision translates especially during P.S. & Co‘s quaint Friday-only BYOB prix fixe dinners in the back of this beautifully designed space by David Fierabend, of Groundswell Design. Breakfast, lunch, juices and meal plans are also available.

Reanimator

Tucked in a few blocks from the main street, Reanimator is worth a visit while exploring the charming little streets and row houses of Fishtown. Roasters Mark Capriotti and Mark Corpus opened this location (the first of several) in a former flower shop which maintains a simple and classy design.

Cheu Noodle Bar

Forget about what your notion of what a bowl of noodles is supposed to be, Cheu Noodle Bar doesn’t endeavor to be traditional. Order a Six Point Bengali Tiger, any one of the addictive buns and chef Ben Puchowitz’s exciting (and delicious) brisket and matzo bowl. You’ll probably want to come back to Philly for this place alone.

Stripp’d Juice

When you need some energy to wander Philly’s streets or a little detox, visit Khoran Horn’s Stripp’d Juice. Juices are prepared fresh daily at the HQ of chef Alex Garfinkel’s new Fishtown event space, AG Catering, and are as healthy as they are tasty.

Sinful Feats

New farm-to-table 20-person dinner series Sinful Feasts is run by the aforementioned Alex Garfinkel, and is for lovers of fine food and a little history. Hosted in stunning historical locations (in conjunction with Philadelphia Landmarks), each dinner is four courses and boasts quality, seasonal ingredients prepared meticulously. The first dinner at the Powell House featured cocktails Art in the Age spirits rather refreshingly mixed with Stripp’d Juice—future collaborations promise to be just as exciting.

Philly Style Bagels

Duo Collin Shapiro and Jonathon Zilber got into bagel-making by “curing meat and fish, making sourdough-based breads and brewing beer.” While Montreal-style bagels are boiled in honey water and New York-style in malt water, these bagels are boiled in Yards IPA. While their upcoming Fishtown location is in the works,Philly Style Bagels currently operates a Sunday morning pop-up out of Pizzeria Beddia

Lo Spiedo

Down in the Southern-most point of Philadelphia, former Osteria sous chef Scott Calhoun is perfecting the art of spit-fired meats at Lo Spiedo. The name translates to “The Spit” and is located in the Navy Yard (where about 12,000 people work daily) and just blocks away from all the major sports arenas. Head to this newest ofVetri family-owned spots for a craft beer on draft, artfully created cocktails, a mandatory order of their already renowned fried chicken, and whatever else they decide to throw on an open fire.

Farm to bottle, to terrarium. We like things in one unbroken circle, so we’re giving recycled Art in the Age bottles a second life!

Show us your AITA terrariums using the ‪#‎artintheage‬ hashtag on Instagram and Twitter.

You’ll need:
An empty Art in the Age bottle (peel off the label by running the bottle under hot water for a few minutes)
A variety of moss
Soil
Rocks

Pour in about 1 inch of rocks. We used a sheet of paper as a funnel to make this easier.

Next, add a layer of moss (we started with brown Spanish moss). Use a long stick to compress and evenly spread the moss.

Next, grab your paper funnel and add in about 2 inches of fresh soil.

Now it’s time for the rest of the moss.

Using the stick, arrange the moss and rocks around until there’s even coverage atop the soil.

Use a spray bottle to dampen the moss and top soil. Never directly pour water into the bottle. Secure top.

Terrarium Care Tips:

- Check back every couple of weeks to see if your terrarium needs water. If the soil is dry use the spray bottle to add water.
- Take the top off at least once a month to air it out.
- If you see too much condensation or you’ve added too much water take the top off until it drys out.

It is nice for men to have things to be in charge of at their wedding, and picking a signature drink is a task many grooms eagerly embrace. For a winter wedding, picking a hot alcoholic beverage can be just the thing to get him involved and excited about planning the big day. While there are many traditional hot green drinks to choose from to delight your guests, many of these involve candy and cocoa – not necessarily the manliest elements. For guys who like artisanal organic liquors, Art In The Age crafts a line of historically-inspired and USDA certified organic 80 proof liqueurs in ROOT, SNAP, SAGE and RHUBARB Tea. Here are three cold weather cocktail recipes featuring three these unique delights:

SNAP Hot Toddy Recipe

The Hot Toddy is a drink traditionally believed to relieve symptoms of the cold and flu. Art In The Age has mixed up a version using their SNAP liqueur inspired by the Pennsylvania Dutch recipe for gingersnap cookies. This recipe is for two people, so you can try it at home before scaling it up for your wedding day:

4 parts SNAP organic liqueur

2 tbsp honey

1 tsp fresh grated ginger

2 lemon slices

12 parts hot water (just below boiling)

1 tsp butter

Directions: Divide the first four ingredients between two heatproof cups or mugs. Add the hot water and then divide the butter between the cups. Steep for 3-4 minutes before drinking.

SAGE Cranberry & Thyme Cocktail

This cocktail is perfect for those long winter nights and is served perfectly in a martini glass.

Directions: In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the milk, cocoa powder, sugar and salt. Do not boil or the milk will curdle! Whisk until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Remove from the heat and add ROOT liquor. Pour the mixture into a mug and top with whipped cream and a garnish of cinnamon and nutmeg (optional).

As you can see, you can create very interesting hot organic drinks for your cold weather wedding that both men and women will fawn over. The trick is to choose a unique organic liqueur as a starting point and build a fabulous cocktail around it. These three are sure to be crowd pleasers!

A NIGHT OF SINFUL FEASTING

I’m not going to lie, I have a pretty awesome job. Last night was the first SinfulFeast, a dinner series hosted by a collective of local makers in Philadelphia. The idea is to work with local farmers and vendors to put together a night of feasting reminiscent of the “sinful feast” John Adams wrote about in the 1700s.

If you’re not familiar with Art In The Age, you should be. Based out of Philly, they make some of the most flavorful, complex spirits with organic ingredients. We had their RHUBARB and ROOT at our February Bitter Lovers event and they were a hit.

They use an incredible mix of botanicals and ingredients to flavor each of their spirits. Defying all classifications, they aren’t vodka, they aren’t gin…they’re just good.

For this cocktail, we used their SAGE. Slightly sweet and instilled with organic American botanicals including thyme, rosemary, lavender, fennel and, of course sage, it’s delightfully mixable in both sweet and savory cocktails. And at 80 proof, it’s not just some mild, flavored liqueur.

Start by placing 6-8 large mint leaves in the bottom of your cocktail strainer and muddle to release aromatics. Add SAGE, simple and lime and fill with ice. Shake like hell for about 15-20 seconds and double-strain into a chilled coupe glass. Garnish with a single mint leaf on top.